In other Tampa Bay-area football coaching news, our own Michael Clayton, also a former NFL wide receiver for the Bucs and Giants (in case you were unaware), is now the new head football coach at Plant City High School!
"It is a bucket-list item," Clayton wrote in a text.
Michael will talk a little more about this new gig, as well as his thoughts on Bruce Arians when he joins the Beckles & Recher Show at 6 pm Thursday.
For the past three seasons, Clayton has co-hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pre- and post-game shows on 95.3 WDAE with our morning-drive host Tom Krasniqi.
"I'm really happy for Michael," T-Kras said in a text. "His experience and championship pedigree as a player will be an invaluable asset to those kids. I wish him the very best of luck in his new endeavor."
Clayton is undoubtedly inspired by this new challenge.
“It kind of happened organically for me and now I’m taking my family on this ride with the hope that along this journey we can win a state championship,” Clayton said. “The only level that I didn’t win a championship was in high school. I won a championship in college, I won a championship in the pros with the Giants and now I have the opportunity to shoot for a championship at the high school level as a head coach. It’s an opportunity for me to be a champion at all three levels but mainly an opportunity to pour into young people, something that’s grown to be my passion in life. Educating and motivating young people to be their very best self.”
"When his name came up as we were searching for a new head coach, we couldn’t wait to see what he had to offer,” Plant City Assistant Principal Randy Humphrey said. “He knows football obviously, being coached by Nick Saban at the college level, playing for the Buccaneers, all of those things. He knows football. But what actually stood out about him was his passion for helping young men, for motivating people, for encouragement and for strengthening and developing character in young athletes as a whole.”
Cover Photo: Getty Images
Some quotes from this story courtesy of the Plant City Observer